He might have hit pay dirt with his latest venture, one that will have a weekly beer and cheese pairing serving as a window into his dream.

"We're not just a corner bar with burgers," Wilby said during a recent visit to the pub at Dawson and Cresson streets in Manayunk.

But for years, that's just what the pub was. Now, with the help of knowledgeable beer distributors, and representatives from area gourmet food shops, Dawson Street aims to be a place where customers can both get educated, and enjoy a nice night out on the town.

"We want to try to get away from relying on music as much - balance our business out," Wilby said about his goal of breaking away from the reputation of a music venue/local watering hole.

Wilby already has attempted to make his business stand out from other area bars. For months, he has been showcasing the works of area artists in the pub's back room. The works have been as diverse as their creators.

But now, with the cheese and beer pairings, he's hoping to generate both additional revenue and interest in the corner bar.

The origins of his newest promotion date back a year-and-a-half, when he did an event with Don Russell, a.k.a. "Joe Six Pack," the Daily News' beer columnist. The Philly Beer Week promotion got Wilby thinking: Why couldn't he do a similar type of educational tasting on a regular basis?

That's just what he set out to do. Wilby began by reaching out to representatives of area beer distribution companies to see who would be interested in participating in the event, one that will offer samplings of cheeses and suds every Thursday from 8 to 10 p.m.

The promotion will give patrons a chance to not only sample different types of beer and cheese, but learn about the products they will be ingesting. At the same time, it will also enable Wilby and his employees to gain some newfound knowledge, since they said this is a learning process for them as well.

"Since we're just getting into this, we haven't done a ton of research," Wilby said. "We're going to be learning as we go along. One of the reasons we want to do this is to educate ourselves . . . and educate our customers."

The goal, Wilby said, is to have representatives from various Philadelphia-area breweries at the pub every Thursday to describe to customers the beers in front of them, including giving a brief history of the products, and share what are referred to as "tasting notes."

Because some of the breweries in the area are also in the business of gourmet food, Wilby expects customers to get a two-for-one lesson if they come out to Dawson Street.

"I think it's another opportunity to educate the consumer," Wilby said on his promotion.

On the flip side, Wilby said he would be willing to learn a thing or two from consumers who might be more knowledgeable than he is.

"If somebody came in and knew more than we do, we'd be willing to take notes and learn," he said.

At this point, Wilby is still figuring out what beers can be paired with what cheeses. For that, he's been in talks with area breweries, who have a strong knowledge of food/beer combinations.

"We're kind of doing it on the fly right now," he said.

"I think a lot of it stems from good old-fashioned experimentation," added Dawson Street employee Maureen Tobin.

Tobin was integral in revamping Dawson Street's menu, a catalyst for the upcoming beer/cheese promotion. The menu itself has been expanded to include beer tasting notes, which are commentaries describing a beer's look and flavor.

"Beer is similar to wine and scotch in that it has tasting points and tasting notes and flavors that have similar descriptions between the beverages," Wilby said.

While Dawson Street participated in last year's Philly Beer Week, this year's event simply became too expensive, so Wilby sees this promotion as an opportunity for the bar to serve beer, and customers to sample it, without breaking the bank for either.

"We want to do this because it will be small, inexpensive and informal," he said.

The idea at this point is to keep prices under $15 per person, Wilby said, although he added the exact cost will depend on the product sold, and is expected to change "week to week."

Tobin views the promotion as an opportunity for folks not knowledgeable in "beer-dom" to expand their horizons. She also sees it as a chance to get people out, but not just cater to a drunken crowd of party revelers.

"We're really just trying to find something for people to do beside just sit and drink," she said.

Tobin said while the promotion currently consists of beer and cheese, there may be a decision made down the line to include the likes of smoked meats and gourmet sausages on the food side, although that is yet to be determined.

"I'm a firm believer in trial and error," she said.

Wilby said the promotion will also serve as a chance for patrons to impress their friends with their newfound beer and gourmet food knowledge, an opportunity relished by many, he joked.

While many breweries have in-depth Web sites describing beers, Wilby said nothing compares to getting an up-close-and-personal look into the world of brewing. And the best way to do that, he said, is the old-fashioned way.

"There's still nothing better than sitting down and having a couple," he said with a smile.

Wilby also attempts to keep his staff knowledgeable about beer, and he sees this promotion as being nothing but beneficial to both workers and visitors. Tobin said she learned a lot simply by putting the new menu together, and she hopes to continue her knowledge in the upcoming weeks and months.

"I'm just going to start doing a lot more research," she said.

Wilby said he may know a little something about beer - when Dawson Street reopened, he billed the place as being the local spot to get local beer; it was even the first area venue to sell Philly's own Yards Brewing Co. beer, he said - but he's never against gaining more insight into the brewing world.

"I think we know a lot about beer, but there's also a lot to learn," he said.

The promotion scheduled for July 9 will include cheeses from the Chestnut Hill Cheese Shop as well as two different German beers and a local IPA (India Pale Ale).

For more information, visit www.dawsonstreetpub.com.

Reporter Jon Campisi can be reached at 215-354-3038 or jcampisi@phillynews.com